Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 100: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

86 ee Adventure | tained. While she was still puzzling over the problem, the men swung their packs and started off on the new trail. All day long they traveled easily over ‘the hills, coming out at last upon a new country. Even Mercedes’ untrained eye could see that it was far different. They first crossed a broad plain that took them two days of steady travel. Then they entered a broad river valley, filled - with a dense growth of cottonwoods and aspens that overhung the water that was matted with water-cress and great lilies. In no place deep, the clear water rip- pled over golden gravel and from time to time small sluice-boxes set along the edge of the stream showed the opening to irrigating ditches that led to newly dug-up fields that a month later would be heavy with maize and beans, pump- kins and small fruits. There were no houses. This fact became more and more apparent as they passed along the trail. The third day one of the men, seeing her curious look as they passed a field, smiled and pointed to a jutting point of hill that thrust out into the valley along which they were marching. Far above them, on the highest peak, a column of smoke rose high in air. Following his pointing finger, her gaze lit upon a small walled building on the crest, where she could see several people moving in and out. So this was where and how they lived! Inexpert though she was in drawing con- clusions, she knew at once that only fear could make a people thus fortify them- selves in inaccessible places. Dread of raiders! Was she never to get away from force and the strong hand? Her heart sank again! Would she ever reach her own people? Or was she fore- doomed to spend her life among these savage peoples? HE men were quick to note her changing moods and eager to divert her. More than once on the march they had gone out of their way to pick for her a rare flower, to pick. up a bit of glit- tering mineral that had caught her eye. During the long hours on the trail and in the camps, Mercedes made every ef- fort to learn what she could of their lan- guage. It was by no means difficult, and in the ten days of their travel she learned many words, so that she had little difficulty in carrying on a halting con- versation on simple subjects. Always keeping to the valleys they 3 had unlimited water, and game was picked up daily; now and then a deer, quail out of every cactus clump, or wild ducks from the pools, and rabbits till she hated the sight of one. At the end of the second week they came up out-of the valley and topped a neighboring ridge that overlooked a broad, flat plain. The astonished Mercedes saw the men throw themselves upon their knees, fac- ing to the east. She looked her question and one of the men, rising, pointed to a faint blue blur upon the far horizon. ‘““Acoma is over there,” he said. “And over there they wait our coming. See! Already Hualpai is far along the trail. Let us hasten.” He pointed to the base of the hill and Mercedes, following his gesture, saw one of her party running at speed toward the blue blur in the offing that the man had said was Acoma. It took them seven hours of steady marching to cross that plain to the blue peak that resolved itself into a rocky pinnacle that stood alone upon the plain. Blue when seen on the horizon, it changed to red and brown and purple in the changing light, and on its top was undoubtedly a walled city that frowned’ upon the neighboring lowlands. Closer they drew and closer, till they were within a half-mile of that barren pinnacle that rose sheer from a belt of cultivated land, through which ran a little fringe of green cottonwoods. Suddenly there came to her ears a dis- cordant note, the long, braying roar of an earthenware trumpet; then raucous yells and shouts and the gates of the fortalice above them swung open, and from them streamed forth a great crowd, jostling and crowding into and along the narrow foot-path that wound down the slope to the plain beneath. Presently the throng divided and stood lining the foot-trail, men and women taking opposite sides, so that Mercedes and her escort passed through a living lane.. As they entered that lane she was astounded to see the people, as by one accord, throw themselves prostrate in the path, face down upon that rocky trail, oe ~ com ebooks. €o ff